U.S. patent number 7,385,631 [Application Number 10/787,445] was granted by the patent office on 2008-06-10 for camera device and method and program for starting the camera device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Casio Computer Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Tetsuya Hayashi, Jun Hosoda, Yasushi Maeno, Koki Nakamura, Hidetoshi Sumi, Kenji Yoshizawa.
United States Patent |
7,385,631 |
Maeno , et al. |
June 10, 2008 |
Camera device and method and program for starting the camera
device
Abstract
A camera device comprises a movable optical system, a driving
unit which drives the optical system, and a control unit which
makes the driving unit start driving of the optical system to a
predetermined state by an initialization of the optical system by
using an interrupt processing which is executed by setting an
interrupt processing routine before the operating system is
started, when the camera device is started up in a state in which
an operation mode for photographing is set.
Inventors: |
Maeno; Yasushi
(Higashimurayama, JP), Hayashi; Tetsuya (Hanno,
JP), Yoshizawa; Kenji (Ome, JP), Nakamura;
Koki (Sakado, JP), Hosoda; Jun (Hanno,
JP), Sumi; Hidetoshi (Higashiyamato, JP) |
Assignee: |
Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
(Tokyo, JP)
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Family
ID: |
32767773 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/787,445 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20040165096 A1 |
Aug 26, 2004 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Feb 26, 2003 [JP] |
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2003-049898 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
348/207.99;
396/280; 713/2; 713/1; 348/211.6; 348/E5.042 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
5/232 (20130101); H04N 1/00965 (20130101); H04N
5/23296 (20130101); G06F 9/445 (20130101); H04N
2201/0084 (20130101); H04N 2101/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04N
5/225 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;713/1,2
;396/76,77,90,103,280 ;348/207.99,211.6,372 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1 083 740 |
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Feb 2001 |
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EP |
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2001-268413 |
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Sep 2001 |
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JP |
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2001268413 |
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Sep 2001 |
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JP |
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2002-237977 |
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Aug 2002 |
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JP |
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1991-0006855 |
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Apr 1991 |
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KR |
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1996-0018747 |
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Jun 1996 |
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KR |
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1999-0037012 |
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May 1999 |
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KR |
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2002-0010846 |
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Feb 2002 |
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KR |
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Other References
Related U.S. Appl. No. 10/785,534, filed Feb. 23, 2004; Inventor:
T. Hayashi et al.; Title: Camera Device and Method and Program for
Starting the Camera Device. cited by other .
Related U.S. Appl. No. 10/787,446, filed Feb. 25, 2004; Inventor:
K. Yoshizawa et al.; Title: Camera Device and Method for Program
for Starting the Camera. cited by other .
Related U.S. Appl. No. 10/787,447, filed Feb. 25, 2004; Inventor:
J. Hosoda et al.; Title: Camera Device and Method and Program for
Starting the Camera. cited by other.
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Primary Examiner: Ometz; David
Assistant Examiner: Negron; Wanda M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Frishauf, Holtz, Goodman &
Chick, P.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A camera device comprising: an optical system; a setting unit
configured to set an initialization of the optical system to drive
the optical system to a predetermined state as an interrupt
processing of an operating system before the operating system is
started; and a control unit which starts the initialization of the
optical system before the operating system is started when a
recording mode for photographing is set, and which suspends the
initialization of the optical system when a playback mode for
display is set.
2. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein said optical
system comprises a movable lens.
3. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein said optical
system comprises a sinkable lens.
4. A method for starting a camera device comprising an optical
system, the method comprising: setting an initialization of the
optical system to drive the optical system to a predetermined state
as an interrupt processing of an operating system before the
operating system is started; determining, when starting up the
camera device, whether one of a recording mode for photographing
and a playback mode for display is set; and starting the
initialization of the optical system before the operating system is
started when it is determined that the recording mode for
photographing is set, and suspending the initialization of the
optical system when it is determined that the playback mode for
display is set.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said optical system
comprises a movable lens.
6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said optical system
comprises a sinkable lens.
7. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for a
camera device comprising an optical system and a driving unit which
drives the optical system, the program being executable to cause
the camera device to perform functions comprising: setting an
initialization of the optical system to drive the optical system to
a predetermined state as an interrupt processing of an operating
system before the operating system is started; determining, when
starting up the camera device, whether one of a recording mode for
photographing and a playback mode for display is set; and starting
the initialization of the optical system before the operating
system is started when it is determined that the recording mode for
photographing is set, and suspending the initialization of the
optical system when it is determined that the playback mode for
display is set.
8. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein said
optical system comprises a movable lens.
9. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein said
optical system comprises a sinkable lens.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority
from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-49898, filed Feb.
26, 2003, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera device having a movable
optical system, and a method and a program for starting the camera
device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in electronic still cameras or digital cameras, an
object is picked up by an image pickup element such as a CCD or the
like, and while the image is being displayed as a through image on
a liquid crystal display device, the picked-up image is recorded as
digital data on a recording medium such as a memory card or the
like in accordance with an operation of a shutter. Accordingly, at
the time of startup when the power supply of an electronic still
camera is turned on for photographing, various initializing
operations with respect to both of the hardware and the software,
for example, such as a preparation for making data to be able to be
recorded on a recording medium, a preparation for image picking-up
an object, and a preparation for displaying the picked-up image,
are indispensable. As a time from the power-on until when it is in
a state in which photographing is available, a given starting time
which is longer than that in the case of a silver salt camera or an
analog camera is required. Therefore, there is the shortcoming that
the electronic still cameras or the digital cameras cannot cope
with an urgent chance to press a shutter key.
Therefore, in order to make shortening of the above-described
starting time to be possible, a conventional example in which a
time of reading management information from an freely attachable
and detachable memory card is omitted is disclosed in paragraph
0025 of Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No.
2002-237977.
However, in an electronic still camera, which has a sinkable or
movable optical system in which a lens is housed in a camera
housing during non-photographing and it is necessary to protrude
the zoom lens prior to photographing, the time required for
protruding the optical system accounts for most of the starting
time. Therefore, even if the time of reading management information
from a memory card is omitted as in the conventional document, the
time accounts for extremely small percentage of the total starting
time, and there is the problem that an effect on reduction in
starting time has not been satisfactory yet.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved in consideration of the
conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to
provide a camera device which can reduce the starting time in an
electronic still camera having a movable optical system, a method
for starting the camera device, and a program used for realizing
those.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a camera
device comprises an optical system, a driving unit which drives the
optical system, and a control unit which makes the driving unit
start driving of the optical system to a predetermined state by an
initialization of the optical system by using an interrupt
processing which is executed by setting an interrupt processing
routine before the operating system is started, when the camera
device is started up in a state in which an operation mode for
photographing is set.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be
set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be
obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
present invention.
The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized
and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations
particularly pointed out hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute
a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present
invention and, together with the general description given above
and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve
to explain the principles of the present invention in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic
still camera showing an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a data storing structure of a
flash memory in the electronic still camera of the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing stored data at a program area
of the flash memory;
FIG. 4 is a former part of a flowchart showing a processing
procedure of a CPU at the time of startup of the electronic still
camera of the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a latter part of the flowchart showing the processing
procedure of the CPU at the time of startup of the electronic still
camera;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing relationships between types
of startup interrupt processings and operational items realized by
the respective interrupt processings;
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how to set interrupt
routines used to initialize the lens system;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a zoom-open processing of the
embodiment; and
FIG. 9 shows a sequence of main operations performed after the
camera device is started when the recording mode is set.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of a camera device according to the present invention
will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration
of an electronic still camera showing the embodiment of the present
invention.
The electronic still camera has a zooming function and an automatic
focusing function, and has a lens block 1 for realizing the
functions. The lens block 1 comprises a movable lens group 11
including a zoom lens and a focus lens which are movably arranged
in the direction of an optical axis, position detecting sensors 12,
13 for a zoom position and a focus position in the lens group 11, a
zoom motor 14 for moving the zoom lens and a focus motor 15 for
moving the focus lens, an actuator 16 for an iris which opens and
closes an iris (not shown), and an actuator 17 for a shutter which
opens and closes a mechanical shutter. The above-described
respective motors and actuators 14 to 17 are driven by various
drivers 18 to 21, for zooming, for focusing, for an iris, and for a
shutter, which are provided at a driver block 2. The respective
motors 14, 15 and actuators 14 to 17, and the driver block 2
configure driving means.
The electronic still camera has a CCD image-pickup system block 3
including mainly a CCD 31 which is an image pickup element arranged
at the rear side of the photographing optical axis of the lens
group 11, a CDS (Correlated Double Sampling)/AD conversion block
32, and a TG (Timing Generator) 33. When the electronic still
camera is set to a recording mode for photographing, the CCD 31
photoelectric-converts an optical image of an object which is
formed by the lens group 11, and outputs, each given cycle, one
photoelectric-converted output screen by being scanning-driven by
the TG 33. The CDS/AD block 32 carries out noise elimination due to
correlated double sampling and conversion into a digital signal
with respect to an output analog signal whose gain has been
appropriately adjusted for each of the color components of RGB by
an amplifier (not shown) after being output from the CCD 31, and
outputs the signal as an image pickup signal to a color process
circuit 4.
The color process circuit 4 performs color process processing
including pixel interpolation processing to the input image pickup
signal, generates digital-valued luminance signal (Y) and
color-difference signals (Cb, Cr), and outputs the signals to a CPU
5 serving as control unit for controlling the entire electronic
still camera. The CPU 5 comprises a microprocessor having an
internal memory, various arithmetic processing circuits, an I/O
interface for data, and the like.
The digital signal (image signal) transmitted to the CPU 5 is
temporarily stored in a DRAM 6 and transmitted to an image display
unit 7. The image display unit 7 includes a video encoder, a VRAM,
a liquid crystal monitor, and a driving circuit thereof, and
generates a video signal based on the transmitted video signal by
the video encoder, and a display image based on the video signal,
i.e., a through image of the object picked up by the CCD 31 is
displayed on the liquid crystal monitor.
A key input unit 8 comprises various keys such as a power key, a
recording/playback mode change-over switch, a shutter key, a menu
key, or the like, and a sub-CPU which receives input therefrom and
transmits an operation signal corresponding thereto to the CPU 5.
The sub-CPU transmits a state signal showing a state of the mode
change-over switch, i.e., a mode setting state as needed. When the
shutter key is pressed down in the aforementioned recording mode, a
trigger signal (operation signal) is output from the key input unit
8 to the CPU 5.
When the trigger signal is input, the CPU 5 reads out, for each of
the components of Y, Cb, Cr and in basic units called basic blocks
which are 8 pixels (vertical).times.8 pixels (horizontal), the
image data of one screen fetched from the CCD 31 at that point in
time, and writes the image data into a JPEG circuit 9. The JPEG
circuit 9 carries out DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) and coding.
The compressed one-image data compressed by the JPEG circuit 9 is
stored in an image recording unit 42. The image recording unit 42
comprises a card interface, and nonvolatile various memory cards
which are connected to the CPU 5 via the card interface, and which
are mounted so as to be freely attachable and detachable on a
camera body.
In the recording mode for photographing, the CPU 5 makes a lens
control block 43 generate driving signals to be transmitted to the
various drivers 18 to 21 of the driver block 2 on the basis of
various programs stored in a rewritable nonvolatile flash memory
41, the aforementioned operation signal from the key input unit 8,
or the like, and controls the position controls of the zoom lens
and focus lens, an opening of the iris, and the opening and closing
action of the mechanical shutter. Positional information of the
lens detected by the position detecting sensors 12, 13 for a zoom
position and a focus position are successively input to the CPU 5
via the lens control block 43.
On the other hand, the image data recorded in the image recording
unit 42 is read by the CPU 5 in the playback mode for displaying
the recorded image, transmitted to the image display unit 7 after
being expanded by the JPEG circuit 9, and displayed on the liquid
crystal monitor.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a data storing structure of
the aforementioned flash memory 41. The flash memory 41 is storage
means, and a lens information area 41a, a program area 41b, and
memory area 41c for various data are ensured therein. At the lens
information area 41a, device information which is the data acquired
at the stage of factory shipping of the electronic still camera,
and which shows the device performance of the lens group 11 (the
zoom lens and the focus lens), and which is the adjustment data
which is indispensable for controlling those, is stored. Moreover,
at the lens information area 41a, device information of the image
pickup system of the CCD 31, white balance characteristic, or the
like, as well, are stored.
At the program area 41b, programs required for the control the
aforementioned respective portions by the CPU 5, and various data
required for the control are stored. In the present embodiment, as
one example, as shown in FIG. 3, the program area 41b comprises a
boot program area 101 and a main program area 102 which are
sequentially provided. The boot program area 101 stores programs
for startup which are first read when the camera device is powered
on, such as a flash rewrite module 101a, a lens control module 101b
for startup, a starting factor determining module 101c for startup,
a device information access module 101d for startup, and a program
load module 101e for startup. The lens control module 101b sets an
interrupt necessary for controlling the lens group 11. The flash
rewrite module 101a may be omitted. The main program area 102
stores an OS (Operating System) 102a which is indispensable for the
operation of the CPU 5 and a plurality of task modules (TASK 1,
TASK 2, TASK 3, . . . TASK N) which are required for realizing
various operations in the electronic still camera are stored.
The memory area 41c is a area which is managed by a file system
configured by the CPU 5 after the startup of the OS, and various
data which are read from the CPU 5 as needed and which are other
than the above-described data are stored thereat. At this area,
arbitrary data including image data as well are stored as
needed.
Next, operations according to the present embodiment of the
electronic still camera comprising the above-described
configuration will be described in accordance with FIGS. 4 to 9.
Flowcharts of FIGS. 4 and 5 show the concrete processing procedures
of the CPU 5 at the time of startup accompanying an ON-operation of
the power switch. FIG. 9 shows a sequence of main operations
performed when the recording mode is set at the time of startup the
camera.
After the CPU 5 is started up accompanying power-on, the CPU 5
loads only the boot program 101 from the program area 41b of the
flash memory 41 by bootstrap loader, and expands those in the
internal memory (step SA1 and period P1 in FIG. 9). The bootstrap
loader is a small program which is read for loading the program,
and is to be automatically accessed by the CPU 5 at the same time
of the startup, and is stored in a predetermined address area
(other than the memory area 41c) of the flash memory 41.
Thereafter, the CPU 5 processes root tasks from step SA2 up to step
SA14 on the basis of the boot program 101.
Setting of hardware such as an initialization of a port or the like
is carried out (step SA2), and setting of an optical system
interrupt handler, i.e., setting of interrupt processing required
for the control of the lens group 11 is carried out (step SA3).
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between
types of the interrupt processings for startup which are set at
step SA3 and operational items realized by the respective interrupt
processings. A zoom-open processing is achieved by ADC, MOTOR
(ZOOM), edge (pulse), and timer interrupt processings. The ADC
interrupt carries out analog-to-digital conversion with respect to
the detected value from a photo interrupter (or photoelectric
sensor, not shown) provided at the camera body, and outputs the
value. The MOTOR (ZOOM) interrupt controls an output of the zoom
motor 14. The edge (pulse) interrupt detects a moving amount of the
zoom lens by counting of the number of pulses. Timer interrupt
performs a time count and a timing adjustment and realizes a
shutter-open processing.
The settings of these interrupt processings are settings in which
the interrupt processing routines executed for executing the
respective interrupt processings are made to be in a state of being
available. Usually, the interrupt processings are not carried out
before the startup of the OS. However, in the present embodiment,
an exceptional processing routine 201, as shown in FIG. 7, which is
the same as that which the OS uses, is used in order to carry out
an interrupt exceptional processing before the startup of the OS.
The exceptional processing routine 201 comprises a general
exceptional processing routine 201a, a TLB exceptional processing
routine 201b, and an interrupt exceptional processing routine 201c.
When an exception arises, the exception is processed at each
routine of the exceptional processing routine 201. The interrupt
exceptional processing routine 201c used by the OS uses a table 202
of interrupt processings and processing routines which holds the
respective interrupt factors and the head addresses of the routines
for processing the respective interrupt factors. When an interrupt
arises, the interrupt exceptional processing routine 201c refers to
the table 202, and jumps to the head addresses of the interrupt
processing routines (1, 2, . . . N) corresponding to the respective
interrupt factors. Accordingly, by directly writing the respective
interrupt factors and the addresses of the interrupt processing
routines for processing the respective interrupt factors, which
correspond to the respective interrupt processings described in
FIG. 6, into the table 202 of interrupt processings and processing
routines, the exceptional processing routine 201 which is the same
as that which the OS uses is made to be available. In step SA3, by
carrying out this setting, a predetermined interrupt processing
routine which is set after startup of the OS is made to be
available before the startup of the OS.
A state signal is received from the sub-CPU of the key input unit
8, and a determination of a starting factor is carried out (step
SA4). Here, it is determined whether the mode state which has been
set is a recording mode for photographing or another mode other
than the recording mode, such as a playback mode for displaying a
recorded image or the like. The difference between the recording
mode and the playback mode is whether or not a lens is required to
be protruded when the power is turned on. If the operation mode is
the recording mode, the lens is required to be protruded when the
power is turned on. The power supply of the optical system such as
the lens block 1, the driver block 2, and the lens control block 43
is controlled so as to be turned on (step SA5), and device
information is loaded from the flash memory 41 (step SA6). It is
determined whether high-speed startup is carried out or normal
startup is carried out on the basis of the determined results of
the starting factor acquired in step SA5 (step SA7). When the mode
which has been set is the recording mode, it is determined as the
high-speed startup, and when the mode is another mode other than
it, it is determined as the normal startup.
When the starting factor is the normal startup, the processings of
the following steps SA9 to SA14 are not carried out, loading of the
main program 102 which is the remaining control program is
immediately started (step SA14).
On the other hand, when the starting factor is the high-speed
startup, a predetermined time (for example, 30 ms or less) until
the time when a voltage of the optical system started to be
supplied in step SA5 rises a steady-state voltage is waited for
(step SA8), and an initialization of the hardware in the lens
control block 43 is carried out (step SA9). The shutter actuator 17
is made to start shutter open of the mechanical shutter (step SA10
and period P2 in FIG. 9), a battery voltage is checked at this
point in time, and it is determined whether or not the battery
voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage (step SA11). Note that,
some waiting-for processings are carried out during from the time
when the shutter open of the mechanical shutter is started to the
time of the check for the battery voltage. Here, when the voltage
value is the predetermined value or less, and it is determined as
"No Battery," the processings of the following steps SA12 and SA13
are not carried out, loading of the main program 102 which is the
remaining control program is immediately started (step SA14).
On the other hand, when the voltage value exceeds the predetermined
value, and it is determined as "Battery OK," a check and an
initialization of the adjustment data for the zoom lens and the
focus lens among the device information loaded in step SA6 are
carried out (step SA12), and the protrusion (zoom-open) of the zoom
lens for an initialization of the lens group 11 is made to start
(step SA13 and period P3 in FIG. 9).
Here, the zoom-open processing of the zoom lens will be described.
The processing is carried out by the interrupt which is set at step
SA3. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the zoom-open processing (step
SA13 of FIG. 4). A zoom correction value, i.e., a moving amount up
to a target position to which the zoom lens is protruded is
calculated on the basis of the device information (step SB1).
Confirmation of housing of the lens group 11 is carried out (step
SB2). The confirmation is carried out by confirming whether a
detected level (PR output) due to the ADC interrupt is "H" or
"L."
Thereafter, driving of the zoom lens by the MOTOR (ZOOM) interrupt
and the timer interrupt are started (step SB3).
At the beginning, the confirmation of detecting of the PR output is
continued, and it is determined whether the zoom lens is released
from the state of being housed or not (steps SB4, SB5). When the
zoom lens is released from the state of being housed (YES in step
SB4), after a moving amount of the zoom lens is once reset (step
SB6), moving pulses (edge pulses) are counted one by one (step
SB7). When the zoom lens reaches the target position (e.g., a Wide
end) in a short time (YES in step SB8), driving of the zoom lens is
stopped (step SB9), the processing OK is set and reported to the
outside (step SB10), and the driving processing is completed. Note
that, on the way of the processing, when the state of the zoom lens
being housed cannot be confirmed (NO in step SB2), when it cannot
be confirmed that the zoom lens is released from the state of being
housed, and when the moving pulses cannot be counted, the driving
of the zoom lens is stopped due to error processing, processing NG
is set and reported to the outside (steps SB11 to SB14), and the
driving processing is completed.
Immediately after the above-described zoom-open processing (step
SA13) of the zoom lens is started, the CPU 5 starts loading of the
remaining program (step SA14). Namely, without the end of the
zoom-open operation of the lens group 11 being waited for, the main
program 102 is loaded simultaneously.
After the main program 102 is loaded, an OS is started up (step
SA15 and period P5 in FIG. 9). Continuously, an initialization of
the hardware, i.e., a memory card of the image recording unit 42, a
message buffer, the DRAM 6 or the like (steps SA16, SA17), checking
of the remaining data of the device information (other than the
adjustment data of the zoom lens and the focus lens), and an
initialization of the CCD image pickup system block 3 by using
those data (step SA18), and simultaneously setting various
interrupt processings used in a control under the main program by
initialization of the interrupt processings. That is, the
respective interrupt factors and the addresses of the interrupt
processing routines for processing the respective interrupt
factors, which correspond to the respective interrupt processings
described in FIG. 6, are written into the table 202 of interrupt
processings and processing routines shown in FIG. 7 (step
SA19).
Initializations of an LED and the display system are carried out
(steps SA20, SA21). Moreover, initializations of the software,
i.e., initialization of the sub-CPU (various settings) and an
initialization of a memory manager are carried out (steps SA22,
SA23). Some of initializations of the sub-CPU are already carried
out at the time of the determination of a starting factor in step
SA4. After the respective tasks realizing various operations in the
main program 102 which completed loading are generated (step SA24),
the termination processing of the root task is carried out (step
SA25). After these processings, the memory area 41c becomes a
usable state.
Hereafter, the routine proceeds to the execution of the processings
corresponding to the respective modes for recording and playback in
the same way as in the normal processing based on the processings
of the plurality of tasks generated (step SA26). Namely, the CPU 5
executes the following processings by executing the respective
tasks in accordance with the main program 102.
First, when the determined result in step SA11 described above is
"No Battery," a predetermined termination processing is carried
out. Further, when the determined result is "Battery OK," the
routine proceeds to a processing corresponding to an operation mode
which has been set, and the processing by a recording mode or a
playback mode is carried out. When the recording mode is set, as
shown in FIG. 9, the iris is made to be in a state of being open by
driving the actuator 16 for iris (period P6 of FIG. 9) after the
termination of the zoom-open operation of the zoom lens started at
the above-described step SA13 (refer to FIG. 4). Thereafter, the
focus motor 15 is driven, and a movement to the initial position of
the focus lens (FOCUS OPEN) in the lens group 11 is started (period
P7 of FIG. 9). Further, during the time, about that time of the
control of the iris, a preparation for startup of a through image
by an initialization of the image pickup system of the CCD 31, the
white balance characteristic, and the like is started, and the
preparation is completed during the operation of the focus motor 15
(period P8 of FIG. 9). Thereafter, at the point in time when the
focus lens reach the initial position, the through image is
displayed on the image display unit 7 (period P9 of FIG. 9), and
the routine comes into a state of being on standby for
photographing.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the zoom-open
operation of the zoom lens is started before startup of the OS by
the boot program 101, and the interrupt processings for carrying
out the processing are carried out by using a predetermined
interrupt processing routine which is set after the OS is started.
Therefore, even if the OS is started on the way of initializing of
the lens group 11, the zoom-open operation of the lens group 11 can
be continued without being affected by the setting of the interrupt
processing routine due to the OS. Accordingly, a plurality of CPUs
are not required, and the zoom-open operation of the lens group 11
(an initialization of the optical system), the loading and startup
of the OS, the preparations for initializations at the other
portions by the main program 102 can be simultaneously carried out
at a low cost. As a result, the interrupt processing for
initializing the optical system is carried out before the startup
of the operating system. Moreover, the initialization of the
optical system can be continued without being affected by the
setting of the interrupt processing routine accompanying the
startup of the operating system on the way of the initialization.
Accordingly, a shortening of the starting time can be aimed for at
a low cost in the configuration having the collapsible mount type
lens group 11 as well.
According to the embodiment, a single CPU 5 starts a zoon-open
processing for the lens group 5 before an operating system is
started by using a startup program which is first executed after
the power on. During the zoom-open processing, the operating system
and control programs used for controlling the entire device are
started and a preparation for other initialization processings are
executed in parallel with the lens group initialization. The
zoom-open processing is performed by an interruption processing
which is performed by using a predetermined interrupt routine set
at the time of start of the OS. Even if the OS is started during
the zoom-open processing for the lens group 11, it is possible to
continue the zoom-open processing. Thus, there are provided a
camera device which can reduce the starting time in an electronic
still camera having a movable optical system, a method for starting
the camera device, and a program used for realizing those in a low
cost.
* * * * *